


Tell It to the Bees

by BearWithAHat



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Beekeeping, Bees, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Flower Symbolism, Flowers, Fluff, Getting Together, Inspired by a book of the same name, M/M, i love gio and I love bees and he loves bees too, the summary lmfaooo I didn't know what to write, this is just really soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:14:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24550648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearWithAHat/pseuds/BearWithAHat
Summary: “some people say you should tell them your secrets to get them to stay.”“Do you tell them yours?”
Relationships: Marcus Ericsson/Antonio Giovinazzi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Tell It to the Bees

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quagswagging](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quagswagging/gifts).



> decided to dedicate this fic to ms Quagswagging, who is going through some ups and downs at the moment. I love u boo and so do so many others, you inspired me to take up writing again and you are also an incredible author. I hope you know we're all here for you and support you, and I hope some banana split ft. flowers and bees can bring a smile to your face 🥺❤️
> 
> I guess this takes place in some sort of au where they’re on the grid at the same time lmaoo

Marcus wasn’t sure he could pinpoint exactly why he and Antonio started getting closer to each other.

They had known each other for quite a few years, not exactly as friends, more as acquaintances who were friendly towards one another. Most of their conversations were a few minutes of polite small talk, as they didn’t see each other a ton.

If someone had told Marcus back then that Antonio would come to consume his every waking thought a few years down the line, he would have assumed they had had a bit too much to drink. They didn’t spend time together, and truthfully they barely knew each other.

But that changed when Antonio finally got his shot at F1. They saw each other more often, and gradually they began to talk more often. The first time they ever had a conversation that went beyond small talk was when they were seated next to each other on a plane, and it was also the first time Marcus realized how much he liked interacting with him.

Antonio was rather shy at first, but very polite despite his quietness. As time went on and they were around each other more, he relaxed more around Marcus and they struck up a friendship that Marcus valued a lot.

Somewhere along the lines of them getting closer during the season, Marcus had agreed to visit Antonio during the summer, and that's why he found himself boarding a plane to Martina Franca sometime in the midst of the warm summer.

The town was very pretty and Marcus was looking out the window for the entire duration of the drive to Antonio's place.

"I forgot to tell you but I don't have a spare bedroom at my house at the moment, so if you want you can take my bed and I can sleep on the couch," Antonio admitted while driving.

"Oh no it's your house, I don't mind sleeping on the couch," Marcus stuttered, feeling it would be rude to take his friends bed.

"Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bad host and make my guest sleep on the couch,” Antonio asked, turning down another scenic road.

Marcus insisted on it. He was fine with risking waking up with a sore back.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at a quaint little house tucked along a hillside. Small and cosy looking, it looked exactly like the kind of place someone with the good-natured heart Antonio had would live.

“I take it you enjoy gardening?” Marcus nodded to the colorful flowers and vines that sprawled throughout the yard as they pulled his luggage out of the trunk.

“Yeah, it’s a bit of a secret passion of mine,” Antonio answered, looking proudly over his collection of plants. 

The bright flowers made the scene look like something out of an impressionist painting, and Marcus felt rather relaxed by the air the house gave off. 

Once they were inside, Marcus set his things down in the living room and Antonio showed him around the small house. The couch looked comfortable enough to sleep on, to Marcus’ relief. In the sole bedroom of the house was a bed that realistically could fit two people, and Antonio said Marcus could sleep with him if he wasn’t able to sleep on the sofa.

Marcus was surprised to find himself blushing at the thought of it. Antonio seemed like the perfect person to hug and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself from trying to spoon him if they slept next to each other. 

There was just something very inviting about Antonio. He had perhaps the sweetest personality of anybody Marcus knew, which made him an easy person to be around and somebody Marcus felt naturally drawn to.

Afterwards, Antonio went to the kitchen to start on a dish for dinner. Marcus sat at the table and watched as he cooked, taking in the homely details of the kitchen.

“Do you want me to show you the backyard once this is in the oven?” Antonio asked, “there’s a lot of flowers out there too.”

“Sure, I’d love to see it,” Marcus nodded. 

They continued talking casually, with Antonio listing off ideas for things they could do during Marcus’ visit. As he watched Antonio laugh and smile along with him, Marcus began to feel something take hold of him.

Every time Antonio flashed him his slightly-awkward-but-absolutely-brilliant smile, Marcus couldn’t resist grinning stupidly back at him. His laughter was the definition of pure and Marcus felt a distinct warmth in his chest every time he heard it or when Antonio did something small like tuck a strand of his long hair behind his ear. 

He thoroughly enjoyed looking at Antonio too. The tall, slender build along with his doe-eyed face made Marcus feel like he was looking at a masterpiece of a human being. Then there was his hair, which managed to be his most defining feature and what he was known for in the sport, and Marcus had become obsessed with it. Long hair on men wasn't something the Swede thought he would be attracted to, but here he was wanting to play with Antonio's shiny locks and find out what the scent of his shampoo was like and pull on it during scenarios that lurked in the back of his mind.

_Don't fall in love with him, don't fucking fall in love with him_ , Marcus winced to himself.

Too late, Marcus was in the deep end now. Antonio, who had gone from simple acquaintance to close friend, was the apple of his eye.

"Let's go outside now, I'll tell you about everything I've planted out here," Antonio put an arm around his shoulder and led him out the back door after he had put a pan in the oven. Marcus tried to calm the butterflies in his stomach that came up from the touch.

"Wow," Marcus breathed at the sight of the blooming garden, "it's so beautiful."

Antonio led him all around the yard and described the different plants growing, perfectly naming each one and pointing out his favorites. At one point he bent down and plucked a yellow Daffodil.

"I think this one suits you," Antonio murmured. He stepped closer to Marcus and cupped his cheek with one hand, tucking the flower into Marcus' hair with the other. 

Marcus felt his cheeks turn as red as the poppies that grew along the fence. There was something very tender and intimate about the moment, and he felt ready to melt into the ground from how Antonio looked at him, smiling sweetly.

As he grinned back at him, Marcus wished he could have taken a photo of Antonio, his bright smiling self looking serenely stunning against the background of vibrant flowers. 

"Which one reminds you of yourself then?" he asked.

The Italian furrowed his brow and looked intently over the garden before turning back to him. 

"I don't know. I think you’d do a better job of picking one than I could,” Antonio said softly.

Marcus glanced around the garden once more after the implied question, internally panicking over how to respond. His eye was caught by a vibrant splash of pinks and magentas, calling his name for some reason or the other. He plucked the flower and weaved it into Antonio's dark hair, thinking it complimented his already wonderful appearance greatly.

"You picked a lily," Antonio said fondly. Whether the fondness was for the flower or for him, Marcus wasn't sure, but he decided not to worry about it too much and settled for just enjoying the moment.

The two of them stood together, flowers in their hair, enjoying the evening breeze and each others company.

Marcus was enjoying it up until a few bees buzzed around him, landing on his neck and shoulders and eliciting a nervous response from him. He wasn’t sure what to do, knowing that it was generally a bad idea to swat at bees or freak out, so he elected to stand still and try to will them away.

“Ah, stay still,” Antonio murmured, picking up on his anxiety. Marcus’ heart skipped a beat as he stepped impossibly close to him and blew gently on his neck, the bees leaving his skin a few seconds later.

“Thanks, I wasn’t sure what to do there,” Marcus chuckled.

“No worries. I guess now would be a good time to show you the bees,” Antonio said, beckoning Marcus to follow him as he walked over to the side of the house. 

Curiously he followed, to where stood what looked like a wooden filing cabinet along the side of the house. More bees darted around the wooden structure, climbing around the outside and disappearing inside.

“You’re a beekeeper too? You’ve got a lot of hidden talents,” Marcus commented. He was a bit wary to step closer but he followed nonetheless.

“I love bees. They’re so small and innocent but they can be dangerous too. That elegant and beautiful appearance can be deceiving,” Antonio mused.

Crouching down in front of the hive, Antonio held his hand out and let a few of the bees sit on him. 

“How do you get them all to stay?” Marcus queried, watching the tiny insects crawl over his hand and forearm.

“I don’t, they choose to stay. If they wanted to, they could leave and live somewhere else,” responded Antonio. He stood up, still letting the bees wander over his hands.

A smile came across his face and a few seconds later he remarked, “some people say you should tell them your secrets to get them to stay.”

Marcus came over to stand next to him, less concerned about the bees. 

“Do you tell them yours?” he wondered.

“Yes, I talk to them a lot. I know it sounds a bit silly but I feel like telling them my secrets and problems makes it easier to think about things,” Antonio said, holding his hand out to let the bees flutter away back to the hive.

“I can understand that. I’m sure they’re great listeners,” Marcus murmured, dumbstruck by how cute Antonio was. How gentle he was with even the tiniest of creatures made his heart flutter.

They played with the bees for a few minutes before returning inside to have dinner. The flowers they had picked for one another were put in a cup of water on the counter, as Antonio didn’t want to just throw them out. 

As Marcus tried to fall asleep on the couch that night, he knew that it was impossible for him to keep denying that Antonio had stole his heart.

* * *

The next few days were spent exploring the town, taking care of the garden and bees, and lounging around the house together.

Sitting outside with a glass of wine was how they spent most of the evenings, chattering away and watching the sun set over the hills. 

Marcus always had trouble falling asleep. His troubled mind and the somewhat flimsy cushions of the couch kept him awake for hours. Despite Antonio’s offers to let him sleep next to him in the bed, he never complained or took him up on it, feeling it would be rude.

One night in particular, Marcus was wide awake and it was past midnight. He was sick of tossing and turning and checking his phone every couple of minutes. With a sigh, he stood up and treaded over to the bedroom door. It creaked a bit as he opened it, but Antonio didn't wake up. Marcus peered in at him and contemplated if he should lie down next to him in hopes of sleeping better.

Eventually he shook his head and backed away, letting the door fall shut again. Marcus' legs carried him through the living room and out the backdoor, the cool nighttime air a relief against his warm cheeks. 

Dim porch lights were the only thing keeping the yard from being shrouded entirely in darkness, and he could still partially make out the different colours of the garden. The hum of the bees around the side of the house was more noticeable than it was in the daytime, and Marcus closed his eyes and listened to them for a second before wandering over to them.

He knelt down in the grass in front of the hives and watched a few of the bees zip around. They didn't seem interested in him until he shyly extended a hand and let a couple bees land on him. Their tiny legs tickled as they crawled around his hand, and Marcus smiled warmly down at them.

"If I tell you my secret, will you promise not to tell anybody?" he murmured to the fuzzy insects. It's not like they were going to respond, yet he waited a moment anyways as if the bees were going to respond back.

"I am very in love with my friend Antonio," Marcus whispered, holding his hand closer and watching the bees sit on him.

He wondered if they understood, if they really heard what people told them and somehow offered them clarity on their sorrows. To him at least, there was something freeing about getting it off his chest, even if it was to petite insects who were probably not concerned with his problems.

A hand on his shoulder startled Marcus from his thoughts, even more so when he glanced up and saw Antonio looking down at him. 

The Italian knelt down next to him and put his head on Marcus' shoulder, putting his own hand underneath the one Marcus was holding the bees in. His palm against the back of the Swede's hand felt very warm and comforting.

"I heard you go outside. What did you tell them?" Antonio spoke quietly. 

Marcus hesitated, unsure if he should take the gamble and answer him honestly.

"That I'm in love with you," he breathed, the bees one by one flying off of his hand.

Antonio put his arm around his waist and they sat there with one another in the grass, surrounded by flowers and bathed in the soft lights, serenaded by the buzzing bees.

"That's a bit funny," Antonio whispered, "I told them the exact same thing about you a couple days ago." 

Marcus let out a surprised squeak, not expecting that response.

"Really?" he said, wondering if he had been oblivious or if Antonio had done a good job keeping it hidden.

Instead of talking any further, Antonio shifted closer and kissed him. Marcus' eyes fell shut as he leaned into it, savoring the taste of his lips and the feel of his hands. It was sweet like the honey made by the bees which buzzed around them, and it was the most pure, delightful thing Marcus had ever experienced. 

He twisted his hand into Antonio's soft hair, stroking it slowly as they kissed. When they pulled apart, Marcus leaned their foreheads together and gazed into his eyes, happier than he had ever been.

"Come on, let's go to bed," Antonio murmured. They walked hand in hand back into the house, and Marcus didn't go back to the couch. Instead the two curled up together in the bed and drifted off to sleep, tangled in each other's embrace.

Outside, the bees buzzed on, their hearts full of secrets.

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by a novel of the same name which I would highly recommend reading, as it’s adorable
> 
> some things u should know  
> 1\. I love antonio giovinazzi  
> 2\. I love bees  
> 3\. antonio giovinazzi loves bees
> 
> idk I just love this pairing and they're the sweetest humans on earth
> 
> as always, you can find me on Tumblr @esteboo-ocon


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